Warung Spang Makandra has been the De Pijp Surinamese reference since 1978: roti you assemble yourself, saoto soup, almost nothing on the menu over 15 euros.
Signature dishes: Roti kip, Saoto soep, Moksi meti
Must order: Roti kip with the dahl and a side of the bean stew.
Tip: Walk-in only. Order at the counter, sit upstairs. A second Spang Makandra branch in Nieuw West takes the overflow.
Address: Gerard Doustraat 39, 1072 VK Amsterdam
Kafe Kontrast on Ceintuurbaan in De Pijp runs chef Ellinor Strinnholm's Swedish-Indonesian kitchen: weekend brunch smorrebrod, weekday Kontrast Experience tasting menus.
Signature: Brunch plates, Small-plate dinners
Order: The weekend smorrebrod plate or the four-course Kontrast Experience set.
Tip: Weekend brunch is the busy slot. Quieter on Wednesdays, kitchen on full form.
Jinweide opened December 2024 in De Pijp, the Amsterdam room for Northwest Chinese hand-pulled noodles, the chef pulling the dough in the open kitchen.
Signature: Hand-pulled noodles, Lamb soup noodles, Beef tendon
Order: Hand-pulled noodles in lamb broth; ask for medium thickness.
Tip: Walk-in usually fine on weekdays. Sundays book up fast.
Moeders on Rozengracht is the room for Dutch stamppot, erwtensoep and the other home-mother dishes, the walls covered in photos of mothers customers contributed.
Signature: Stamppot, Erwtensoep, Boerenkool
Order: The stamppot of the week with rookworst sausage and braised pork.
Tip: Bring a photo of your mother for the wall. Reservation strongly advised.
Kafe Kontrast on Ceintuurbaan in De Pijp runs chef Ellinor Strinnholm's Swedish-Indonesian kitchen: weekend brunch smorrebrod, weekday Kontrast Experience tasting menus.
Signature: Brunch plates, Small-plate dinners
Order: The weekend smorrebrod plate or the four-course Kontrast Experience set.
Tip: Weekend brunch is the busy slot. Quieter on Wednesdays, kitchen on full form.
esra opened in 2024 on the Oostelijke Eilanden, the Amsterdam room running modern Turkish: house manti, slow-braised lamb shoulder, a mezze table to start.
Signature: Manti, Lamb shoulder, Mezze spread
Order: The full mezze for the table, then the lamb shoulder to share.
Tip: Book at least a week ahead. The terrace is the move in summer.
Jinweide opened December 2024 in De Pijp, the Amsterdam room for Northwest Chinese hand-pulled noodles, the chef pulling the dough in the open kitchen.
Signature: Hand-pulled noodles, Lamb soup noodles, Beef tendon
Order: Hand-pulled noodles in lamb broth; ask for medium thickness.
Tip: Walk-in usually fine on weekdays. Sundays book up fast.
Kim's So opened in 2024 on Linnaeusstraat in Oost, an Amsterdam Korean room turning out crazy-spicy fried chicken, kimchi samgyeopsal, and a tight cocktail list.
Signature: Crazy spicy Korean fried chicken, Kimchi samgyeopsal
Order: Crazy-spicy Korean fried chicken with the soju highball.
Tip: Two seatings a night, book the early one if you want to linger over the cocktail list.
Choux on De Ruijterkade behind Centraal Station runs a tight vegetable-forward tasting menu, an Amsterdam fine-casual room that has held the same chefs since 2015.
Signature: Tasting menu, Vegetable courses
Order: The chef's set, with the wine pairing if you can stretch.
Tip: The lunch set is half the price of dinner; the kitchen has the same intent.
